Endless Tears
by TeamEthanMorgan
Summary: Benny felt lost. He lost the person he grew up with. He lost the person that really cared about him. The only person he ever cared about besides his family. That person was dead. And it hurt more that it was his best friend. Benny/Ethan.
1. Gone

**Oh, I've been DYING to write this story (probably not the right thing to say). I'm sorry, but this is gonna be emotional. For me and for you all. I mean, I'm not sure if I'm going to cry while writing this or not 'cause I always think about this story. And when I do, I cry less every time until I feel nothing. Now, I just pity you guys for reading this.**

**Well, I hope you don't kill me. But I think this will be interesting.**

**I'm trying to make this long so I wouldn't write the chapter. I might cry. Hold me if I did.**

**Ok. Here I am. Doing it. Right now. **

**Ok. Right Sorry. Chapter. Fine.**

* * *

All Benny could do that day was stare at the dagger in his hand. It didn't belong to him. It belonged to Ethan. He promised he'd keep it with him safely. He promised this on Ethan's last week of being alive.

Well, now, he was dead. Murdered. It hurt him so badly to think about this. Everything that he thought of brought him back to his best friend: It was Ethan who stayed with him all his life. It was Ethan who'd let Benny's smile stay, and it was Ethan who'd do anything to protect Benny.

Protecting Benny was what made him get killed. And Benny couldn't help but feel guilty for this. After all, he made the last day of his life miserable; he couldn't take his actions back anymore.

It started when Ethan was acting weird. The last week he was with them, he began looking sad. Every time they'd talk to him, he wouldn't even brighten up. He'd look down at the ground at all times. It was like he was keeping everything to himself. He wouldn't speak at all. But then, he suddenly wanted to spend time with everyone, apparently. He went with Erica to wherever she dragged him to, he spent some time with Sarah even though they broke up, he spent more time with his family, he went with Rory to the arcade, and finally, he spent his time with Benny just talking. He could still remember the smile on his face. He could still remember how sweet he was. Most importantly, he could still remember when Ethan told him his secret to him in his last day.

But he hated himself for being a jerk that day.

* * *

_When Benny was in his room, he heard a knock on the door._

"_Can I come in?" It was Ethan. Of course he'd let him come in. He didn't even need an invitation to his room. Usually, they'd just enter the house without warning. _

"_Sure," he replied. He was sitting on his bed, so when Ethan came in, smiling, he sat there with him too._

_But once her relaxed, his smile faded away. In its place sat nervousness. His eyes would look anywhere but Benny's. His mouth would move to speak, but then close once again in hesitation._

"_Is there something wrong?" he had asked him._

_He took a breath and closed his eyes. Once he opened them, he said, "I need to tell you something because you have to know it. You're just not gonna like what you hear."_

"_What is it?" he asked. Ethan still looked scared to speak. "E, look into my eyes and tell me. Please."_

_When he looked at him, it seemed like it was getting harder for him to talk. "I… I…"_

"_Are you going to tell me or not?" Benny asked. "If you don't want to, it's fine."_

_He shook his head. "No. You need to hear it from me."_

"_Okay, fine. Tell me."_

_This time, Ethan looked the other way instead of at him. He mumbled something, but it was enough for Benny to hear. "I'm gay."_

_He laughed. He understood how hard it was to come clean to him, but he didn't have to be so nervous. "Dude, I'm no homophobe, okay? It's fine with me." It actually made sense that he broke up with Sarah now._

_Ethan shook his head again. "No, I'm not afraid of what you'd say about me. I'm… I'm just afraid of rejection."_

_Now, Benny was confused. "What do you mean?"_

_Ethan's look seemed more distant now. It was as if he didn't want to look at him anymore. He muttered something again. This time, the words were shocking. "I like you."_

_He was so surprised and creeped out at the moment, he had to jump from his bed. "You what?"_

_His best friend looked at him with hurt shown in his eyes mixed with sadness. "I'll just get out."_

_Benny realized he shouldn't have reacted this way. Ethan told him he was afraid of rejection, so the reaction was a bit too much. Even with that, he couldn't think clearly at that moment. He was angry and shocked. Angry because his best friend would keep something like this from him and shocked because he didn't expect him to have a crush on him. And since when?_

_When Ethan turned to leave, Benny held his arm, meaning to apologize for his reaction. But his mind was so clouded, he didn't do that. Instead, he made things worse._

"_Why didn't you tell me before?" Then anger took over. "Why would you keep something like this from me? I thought we told each other everything." There was no stopping his words now from pouring out. "Plus, why would you thing I'd like you?"_

"_I… I didn't-"_

"_Oh, please." He didn't even think before he said this. He wished he didn't say what came out of him next. "You're just pathetic. You're a bossy know-it-all who thinks he's better than everyone. You're not perfect. No one is." The next words came out of nowhere. He didn't even mean them. "I hate you."_

_Ethan looked away from him. That was when he knew he went too far and hurt the only person who'd give a crap about his life. "Do you really think that about me? Do you hate me?"_

_Benny caught himself before he could say another word. Ethan just came out to him, telling him he liked him, and Benny just… made him feel bad?_

"_E, I'm sorry. I didn't mean this."_

"_But it _is_ true, isn't it?" he asked._

"_E-"_

"_You don't get it." His voice was shaky. "You won't. You never will."_

_He wanted to apologize to him and to look him in the face while doing so. By his grip on his arm, he spun him around. He didn't know what to expect, but he saw Ethan's eyes get watery, though no tears came out. He must really be suffering from the inside._

"_I'm sorry."_

_His arm struggled to get out. Benny figured he shouldn't let him stay this way against his will, so he let him go. The next thing he knew, the door was shut in front of him._

_Following him was something he wanted to do, but he saw enough movies to know that Ethan would yell at him if he did or maybe just ignore him._

* * *

And that was how he made his last day worse than ever.

The dagger made him want Ethan back. He wanted to hear his voice again. But he knew that wasn't possible. Maybe if he'd call Ethan's number, he'd get his voice mail. But he didn't want to dial the number. It would make him cry just trying to press the first number.

"I miss you so much, E." He was once told by his grandmother that dead people could hear your voice if you try to speak with them. "Can you hear me? Please give me a sign if you can."

He waited and waited. Nothing happened. But then, one of his pencils on the table rolled on the table and fell on the floor. He was sure it was him. It wouldn't make sense if the pencil did this all by itself.

He smiled sadly. "I'm sorry for what I did. I really am." He put the dagger back in the box he got for it. "I'll keep my promise. For you."

Even after a week, it still made Benny's heart ache. But he didn't want to cry. Crying wouldn't bring him back, would it?

But whatever nice memories he tried to remember, he still wouldn't let go the moment of his death. He saw the light go from his eyes. He was forced to look at Ethan dying with his own eyes.

* * *

_That night, Benny saw Ethan get into his house. Now, he knew he'd go in, his parents would see him heartbroken and they'd hate Benny forever. Or maybe they didn't know and he'd tell them. Either way, they'd hate him for breaking their son's soul._

_He sat by his window, feeling guilty for what he said and what he had done to make his friend close to tears._

_Minutes later, a woman he had never seen before walked into the house. And a minute afterwards, he saw her shadow in Ethan's room. He noticed that she was there for a while. Then, after an hour, she left; so did Ethan in five minutes._

_This was his chance. Ethan was outside and alone at the moment. He needed to make things right. He grabbed his jacket and ran downstairs quickly. When he went outside, he expected Ethan to be in view, but he wasn't. And so, he kept walking, looking for him everywhere until he gave up and decided to go home._

_Just as he thought this day was bad, it got worse. While he was on his way home, he saw a smirking teenagers coming his way. He was instantly scared, but not by the way he was smiling, but by his clothes. He was wearing a black hoodie on top of his head. But the thing that scared him was the red drop stitched on the hood. His grandmother said that if he ever saw this, he should just run or find a way to escape. They weren't people who humans should be scared of in general. But those that have the red drop on their shirt were supernatural hunters. They'd kill anything involved in this world. Even a spell caster or a seer. _

_He backed away slowly. He didn't want to show his fear, but he couldn't just hide it. He heard that they had every weapon you could think of to fight the supernatural. But Benny didn't need any special weapon. They could just kill him with a knife._

_If one was scary enough, then how about eight coming from all the sides so he wouldn't escape?_

_He really hated the fact that there was no one in the street. What was worse that he was close to his house. He could see it. What was worse? That he was going to be killed when he was close to his home? Or that Benny couldn't say his apology to Ethan?_

_Just then, his friend appeared from behind, but he was a bit far away. He wanted to tell him to run and hide. Unfortunately, somehow, the hunters knew he was also involved in the supernatural and he was brought. _

_They were holding their arms behind them so they wouldn't do anything, apparently._

"_What do you want?" Benny asked. He knew what they wanted, but maybe acting stupid would help his case. Or not._

"_Oh, you know what we want… Benny," one of them said. He appeared to be the head of their group or something._

_One of them pulled the head of their hunting group close to him. What was worse, he couldn't see their faces. None of them. But the guy that puller their leader was pleading. _

"_Please don't do anything to them. Please." He spoke in no louder than a whisper, so it was hard to know how he sounded like._

_The leader looked at one of the hunters who had his hands free. "Hold him."_

"_What?" Then, he was held by his arms just like Benny and Ethan were._

_They were all dragged to a dark alley with a narrow, small path. It made Benny shiver from the inside at how creepy this was._

"_Wait, how do you know my name?" Benny asked._

_The guy laughed as if Benny was making a joke. "You and Ethan… you're famous. Not just to your freak show of a world, but to us too."_

_The pleading guy spoke again. "If you touch them, I'll kill you."_

"_What? Feeling bad for them?" the leader asked mockingly._

_While the two were having a conversation, Benny looked at Ethan, who was also looking at him. He didn't need a book to read his face. It simply said, "It's over."_

_Benny wouldn't let that happen. Since Ethan had given up on fighting, he had to do something._

"_Now," the leader said. "Let's get to business, shall we?" Benny had never been so scared to see a knife in his life. What made this moment different? _

"_Wait," Ethan said before Benny could speak. The leader raised his head up to look at Ethan, Benny guessed. "Don't kill Benny, please."_

"_Why would I do that?" he asked._

"_Because," Ethan looked at Benny. It wasn't just a normal look. It was a look that had sadness, hurt, love, care and hesitation for some reason. "I'm willingly going to let you kill me. No screaming, no struggling, no stalling." The leader's head went down to look at the knife in his hands._

"_No, please. Don't do this," the pleading boy said. He seemed to struggle more._

_Unlike him, Benny was so surprised by this, he was frozen in place. He mouthed, "Why?"_

_Ethan's words, unlike his, weren't mouthed. "I want to show you that I care. I'd do anything to protect you." He knew Ethan really liked him, but that didn't mean that he should do this. There had to be another way, yet Ethan didn't think this through._

_Benny could see the leader's smirk on his face. "Aww! So touching!" His mocking voice made Benny want to take the knife and kill him with it. Unfortunately, no matter how much he tried to free himself, he couldn't. _

_The leader's smile grew now. "Okay, fine, Ethan. Deal."_

_When the guy holding Ethan made him walk forward, Benny tried quickly to think of a spell that might help him. But the worry made him unfocused. All he could think of was, _Does he seriously want to die?

"_You might want to see this," the leader told Benny. He turned his head towards the pleading guy. "You too. It's a great view from your place."_

_He could see how evil he was. He liked the rest more. They didn't talk. But him, he hated how he talked, how he was so happy to get Ethan's blood pouring out._

"_Have any last words?"_

_Ethan looked at Benny then back to the head of the group. "I guess." He sighed and looked at the pleading guy. "I don't know who you are, and I don't know what to say to you, honestly, but thank you, I guess, for trying to stop this." Then he looked at Benny. That was when his tears came down. "Remember me."_

_Benny didn't know how to react. He wanted to stop this and fast. But he couldn't. he couldn't do a spell, he couldn't fight against the one behind him, so what was he supposed to do?_

_He just nodded, and looked down in shame for not being able to help. What kind of a spell caster was he if he couldn't do a thing?_

_When he looked up, he saw their leader readying his knife. Before Benny knew it, the knife was in Ethan's chest. He couldn't see him clearly because he realized that his vision was blurry because of the tears in his eyes, but he saw that his eyes widened from the pain._

_Benny wanted to scream Ethan's name out loud, but he couldn't. He couldn't speak. It was hard to see his friend like this. _

_His brain started working again, and he knew what to do. When he saw Ethan fall to the ground, he raised his leg up and kicked the guy behind him as hard as he could. Luckily for him, he kicked him in the place where it hurt the most. When one of the hunters came in front of him to stop him, he remembered the spell he used on Richard Bruner to make him pass out for that short period of time. The hunter then fell to the ground. When he reached the bloody Ethan on the ground, it looked like more hunters wanted to attack him. But he heard a hunter say, "Leave him. Our work is done."_

_This didn't matter anymore. Ethan was in front of him, lying on the ground, bleeding badly. He did the first thing in his mind and brought his phone out quickly to call the ambulance, help, anything. He just knew that the more he waited the more Ethan's chance of survival would lessen._

_Once they said they were coming, he put his phone down to have a better look at Ethan. The knife was no longer there, but the wound looked very bad and deep. Ethan's face was getting pale. The area under his eyes was wet with tears._

_He said the first thing that came to his mind. "You promised we'd be friends forever, E. You promised."_

_Ethan just nodded. Again he knew how to read him. It was an "I know". _

_He remembered all the good times they had. When they were young, the Morgans invited their family to a picnic in the park. Benny wasn't excited. But it was a nice memory. His mother was there at that time, his grandmother was with him and Ethan was still there, healthy and very alive._

_He remembered the time they went skiing in an ice rink. Ethan was so scared at first. He didn't blame him. He was nine. After more than half an hour, Ethan had managed to learn how to ski._

_He remembered when they went camping at night together. When they both woke up at midnight, they kept looking at the stars, counting how many big ones were there. And when Benny would lose count, Ethan would hold his hand, point up at the star he reached and count with him._

_But now, this seemed like a fantasy, a world he could never live in again._

"_I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I'm so sorry." Even with help coming, he knew the chances of him making it were so low that he couldn't make it._

_Ethan's eyes slowly started closing, and Benny was scared. He was very scared. Just then, he felt Ethan's hand tickling his lightly. Because he didn't want to make Ethan feel like he didn't care, he held his arm_

"_No, please don't leave me. Please," Benny begged. It was of course useless._

"_Goodbye," Ethan whispered. Then, his eyes shut close, and his hand squeezed his for a moment, then it let go._

_All his hope was gone now. He couldn't take it anymore. He wasn't ready for this to happen. Still, Ethan bothered to say 'goodbye' to him even with his weak body._

_He didn't hate Ethan at all like he said earlier. He was stupid to say that. He never hated him. He knew that Ethan didn't just like him. Liking someone couldn't have possibly let him sacrifice himself. Maybe it was love, and Ethan was too shy to admit it._

_Benny did the last thing he thought he'd do. He put his hand on his already less warm cheek and kissed his forehead. _

_He stayed like this, weeping and crying over Ethan's body and holding his hand until the ambulance came and they took him away._

* * *

Then, he remembered going to the hospital. His family and the vampires showed up. But by then, it was too late. He saw his parents standing beside his body, crying. His mother broke his heart the most. She had put her hand on his face and stroked his cheeks. She ran her fingers through his hair, saying "I love you" to him over and over again, each time in a different way. His sister was sobbing so hard, Benny had to take her in his arms and hug her to make her quiet down. His father just sat on a chair, holding his arms, never looking away from his face.

He looked at the picture frame that was on his table. It was of the day of the dance when Sarah was hiding behind them so Mrs. Morgan wouldn't have seen that she didn't appear on cameras.

That night was hard and rough, but they had a good time at the end.

But that wasn't all that happened this week. After Ethan's funeral, his grandmother died because of old age. He didn't even know that she was that old. And he hated his life. He hated that everyone he loved left him. First, it was his mother, then Ethan and then his grandmother.

Now, his only family was his father. He had no one else left. But his father was always on business trips, so now, Benny was alone in the house. He hated this. He wanted to say he hated his father, but he didn't. he just hated the trips.

"I know you can't answer me, Ethan, but I've been wondering, did you still like me… even after I said all those things about you that night?" He shook his head. This was useless. He just missed him a lot. He wanted answers, though.

But right now, he had to go to the Morgan's because it appeared that he forgot his hard drive in Ethan's room. Plus, he just wanted an excuse to see his room and sit in there.

It took three minutes for him to go outside, wait for his parents to answer and then go upstairs.

But in their house, it was getting more depressing and dull. Could he blame them? One of their family members was murdered.

Once he reached the door to Ethan's room at the end of the hallway, he slowly opened the door, a bit not prepared to see the room he spent most of the time in. When the door was fully opened, he inhaled. It didn't smell like anything at all in there, but he knew Ethan's cologne, and he knew that it was lightly sprayed here and there.

Everything was in its place. His computer was still turned on with the screen shut. His chair wasn't neatly placed. It was just thrown in the room. His bed was neatly made.

His hard drive was on the desk beside the computer. It had many pictures from his camera. Usually, he'd delete the pictures from the camera and keep them on something else. He didn't know why, he just did this.

Once he put it in his huge jacket pockets, he sat on the bed, looking at everything in the room, taking his time to remember every details.

"You miss him a lot, don't you?" He spun his head to see that Mrs. Morgan was standing by the door.

He nodded and looked back at the walls. He remembered the day they painted them. Ethan was very excited.

Mrs. Morgan sat beside him and put her hand on his shoulder, rubbing it gently, just like his mother did when he was a kid. "He loved you a lot, you know."

So, he guessed right. He did love him. But he thought he was wrong, so this made it unexpected. "He did?"

From the corner of his eyes, he could see her nod.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Morgan," he said. He didn't think he'd say those words. He thought he'd be saying "I miss him" or something.

"Why?"

"He probably told you, but he wasn't happy on his last day in here. It was my fault. I-"

"Benny, it's fine. He cares about you. That's all that matters." Then she gave him a side-way hug. "I can never be mad at you, okay?"

The feeling that she meant it made him know it was true. "Okay." He felt the need to leave when she let him go. "Thank you," he said. "I think I'll leave right now. But it was nice staying here for a while. Again, thank you."

She smiled at him and said, "It's no problem."

At least, this family was more supportive than his. Two days ago, when his father arrived, they were talking about his grandmother. And when his father wanted to change the subject, he asked, "So, how's Ethan?"

He didn't even know he died until Benny told him. His father never cared about his life. He was never there for more than a week.

He went downstairs quickly. He wouldn't usually run, but this time, he wanted to be alone at home. Once he got outside, he decided to take a short walk instead. As he was walking, he moved his head to look around until he saw the alley that Ethan was killed in. He had never been so sad and angry in his life like this. But he let it go. If he didn't move on, then he'd live his whole life in misery. Even if he knew that Ethan died still in love with and rejected by him. But over this week, he realized his feelings towards him.

Maybe he wasn't completely straight after all. He liked Ethan now. It was late to say that, and he knew it, but he just liked Ethan. He just did. And now, he had to fill the empty space in his heart. He had to find someone else. He had to move on.

In between the Weirs's house and the Morgan's house was also another dark alley. But the thing was, he felt a hand touch his arm and he was pulled in there.

For a moment, he felt scared the hunters wanted to kill him now. But the one who pulled him wasn't wearing their clothes, though they were wearing a hoodie.

"Who are you? And why did you pull me in here?"

The person paused, but he could see their lips, and they opened it to speak. Even before they could speak, he guessed who it was, but it couldn't be possible. The way they'd stop before speaking, the way the hands went into the pockets, the way the jaw looked, the chin, the lips.

He didn't give them a chance to speak. But he thought of the most answer that made sense. "Ian?"

Ian was Ethan's adopted cousin. They said he was, but Benny doubted that. He looked exactly like Ethan except for the blue eyes. He kind of felt that there was a stronger connection between him and Ethan. Unlike Ethan, he was not very smart.

He shook his head. "Close."

From his voice, Benny felt he might just drop down to sit and cover his face so no one would see him so sad.

"You can't be Ethan. You can't be. He's dead." Unless this was his ghost, but he doubted it. Ghosts appeared either at certain times of emergencies or because they want to out of rebellion, as said in one of the books given by his grandmother.

He took a step forward. Now, the street lamp showed enough of his face to show that it _was _him. His stolen innocent smile was back on his face. But it couldn't be possible. "Relax, Benny. I know you're scared… and confused, but I'll explain."

He put his hand forward to touch his shoulder, to make sure he was real. He could feel the hood and he could inhale his smell. He was real. This wasn't a dream. He knew it.

He put his arms around him and pulled him close until their heads were beside each other. "Are you going to go or are you staying?"

He felt Ethan's arms around him. "Staying." Then, his head fell into his shoulder.

It wasn't expected for Benny. "How long?"

"Depending. I might stay for five years or more. Maybe until I'm human and I reach old age."

"Wait," Benny said and pulled him away. "So, you're not human?"

"Not exactly." He didn't know what he should've expected.

"Then, what are you?"

"Half-dead human, as in half human… half ghost."

"You're kidding, right?" He didn't think such a thing existed.

"Just be happy I'm back, would you?" he asked, almost laughing.

Nodding, he asked, "So, where are you staying?"

"No one's in your house, right?" Ethan asked.

The sentence didn't have to be finished, anyway, since he knew where it was going. "Yes, and you can stay. But why?"

"Because I have to follow some rules. And for a month, I should let only you know about me being alive inside of Whitechapel. I can tell people outside of town, just not ones living in here."

Understanding the situation wasn't very hard. It was just a lot to take in, but he nodded nonetheless.

"Come on. Let's get you in," he said. His hands wrapped around his shoulders, making him look into his face. Unexpectedly, he smiled. The thought of maybe that he was hurt because of the rejection and that it would keep his spirit low was in his head, but he was wrong.

Once they were in, Benny let him sit on the couch to rest. He could see how bad the situation was for him.

"It's all happening so fast. I died and came back so quickly. It's…" his words disappeared.

What he needed right now was to be calm.

"It's fine. Maybe you should sleep and… you know, chill. Maybe tomorrow I can dig into all the details."

He nodded. "I don't really need to sleep, eat or drink… but I can. And right now, I want to rest."

So, Benny went with him to his room. Of course, since Ethan was sleeping, he didn't want to leave him alone, so he changed his clothes. When he came out from his bathroom, he saw that Ethan already took a mattress and laid it on the floor with a pillow thrown lazily on it. He wondered how he did it all by himself. Though, he wasn't surprised that he knew where everything was. They were used to sleeping at each other's houses all the time.

Ethan looked at him in wonder. "Hey, where are the blankets?"

That was one thing: he lost them. He almost laughed at himself. "Don't have any."

A heavy sigh escaped Ethan mouth. "What am I supposed to do now?"

He tried to think this through. When he got an idea, he first said, "Well, first, go change into one of my PJs. Second, well, I'm fine with sharing the bed. We've done it many times before." It seemed that worry dropped by when he realized that things were different. He knew that Ethan liked him, and he like Ethan too. But could he tell him that? And sleeping together in his bed might not have been the best idea.

The nodding Ethan went to Benny's closet to take out a pajama. "I think your clothes are kind of big on me."

When he came close to the closet, he picked out one of his smallest pair of pants he had and a t-shirt. "Go try those on."

He waited until Ethan was out of view, and when he was, he released a breath. He couldn't believe he was acting so calm around Ethan when he should have been freaking out. But he couldn't. He remembered the last time he was reacting badly and all it did was make Ethan miserable. He needed to stay cool.

Ethan came out of the bathroom, wearing his clothes and carrying the ones he was wearing in his hand. "How do I look?"

A smile appeared on his face. He was never more glad having him standing in front of him. "Great."

Tiredness came over Benny, so he quickly told Ethan where to put his clothes and he climbed on bed, making space for Ethan for when he'd come. He was gone only a minute, so Benny wasn't alone for a long time.

His friend climbed on top of the bed and lied down beside him, their chest facing each other. Before he slept, he remembered looking at Ethan's brown eyes. The last thought that came into his mind before his eyes closed was, _I missed those eyes._

* * *

**Good God! I only cried once. That's good. I only cried about the parts where the stars are mentioned. I guess this is… the fault in our stars. Haha. No? K. But if you haven't read this book, TFiOS, I WILL kill you in your sleep. Nah, but I might tie you up, not kill you. Haha.**

**Well, anyway, I know I made Ethan live so quickly, but the plot afterwards is the interesting one too. More Bethan, more answered questions, more secrets to uncover and less heart breaking. Haha. Don't worry. Next chapter, I'll tell you how the resurrection happened, I'll introduce that Ian that was mentioned this chapter, and I'll tell you who that woman that came into the Morgan's house is later. Don't worry.**

**Until next time…**

**-TEM**


	2. Questions to be Answered

**I was expecting this chapter to come out next week, but it's early, so I'm happy. Now, more answers are given for you guys because I **_**know**_** that are things left without any explanation. I am actually very excited for this chapter, and I'm not gonna keep this long. Its length is enough.**

**Here we go.**

* * *

When Benny saw Ethan in front of him, sleeping, he was about to freak out. He had almost forgotten that he was still alive. After remembering last night's events, he had calmed down.

The dream he had was the best one he got since Ethan died. Most nights, he'd dream about his best friend being gone. Once, he dreamed that Ethan drowned, once that he fell off a tree while they were talking, once that he was burned to death and many other really frightening things. The ways the dreams happened were different, but there were many things in common between them. They showed how much Benny was suffering, they showed Ethan going away from Benny and most importantly, the dreams all made it Benny's fault.

But the thing was, Benny _did_ believe it was his fault. If he saved Ethan from this, it wouldn't have happened. If he just moved, if he didn't stay frozen in his place, he could've let him survive. In the dreams, the guilt was even worse. The one where Ethan drowned, it was him who was joking with him until he saw that Ethan did not rise up. The dream with him falling, Benny had accidentally pushed Ethan before he fell down from the high distance. The one where he burned, it was his magic that ignited a fire, which spread until it reached the scared seer.

But none of that bothered him that night because he had an amazing dream. He was in the park, sitting on a chair, waiting for his father. He guessed that he wouldn't come, so he just decided to relax in there instead of worry. After what felt like minutes, he saw a little boy with a basketball in his hand. He realized it wasn't a dream, it was a past memory he was reliving as the sixteen-year-old him. Of course, the boy was Ethan. Little Ethan tried to dribble the ball but failed miserably and it landed in front on Benny's feet. He picked it up until little Ethan came towards him, apologizing, and then he gave it to him. That was how the two met. But in the dream, Ethan sat beside him and started talking about his return and how excited he was.

Benny realized that when he woke up, his eyes started getting heavy. Maybe it was because he forgot for a second that Ethan was alive.

"Hey, dude, wake up," Benny whispered, trying his best not to startle him while he was sleeping.

"Hmm?" It was a good thing he got up quickly. He would usually need five "wake up"s and sometimes, a threat to spill water on top of his head. At times, spilling water was needed.

"Come on," Benny said. "It's… seven in the morning." He had to check the clock for a second to know the time.

"Fine," Ethan lazily replied.

Benny sat on the bed and helped Ethan with his current position.

"You have no idea how many times I woke up in the middle of the night," Ethan said, earning a laugh from Benny. "Not needing to sleep makes it harder."

"I'm sure it does," Benny said, still laughing a bit. When he stopped, he looked at the impossibly undead person in front of him. How could this even happen? Why? Did he do something that made him deserve coming back? Was it something bad? Something good? "Hey, how does it feel? Being back?"

The boy sitting beside him smiled and stared at the ground. "It's amazing. I feel so alive… again. I can see you again. I can talk to you. I can walk on Earth again." He seemed so happy. This was the happiest he'd ever seen him in his entire life. He just hoped that Ethan would be happy enough to forgive Benny for what he had done the time before the incident happened.

"Well, you can get up, get clean and go downstairs because I want to eat breakfast," Benny said.

Ethan got up before Benny could even inhale. His friend was too excited, and he couldn't blame him.

Not bothering to change from his PJs, Benny went to wash his face and brush his teeth. He took his time while he heard footsteps from outside getting near to him and then further away. When he put the toothbrush back in its place, the footsteps weren't heard anymore. He guessed Ethan settled in one place now. When he walked down the stairs, he saw Ethan in the kitchen, which could be seen even before reaching half the stairs. He had a few things on a kitchen counter. There were eggs, plates, salt and pepper shakers, pans and a few other things.

"Excited much?" Benny asked, almost reaching the bottom.

Ethan looked at Benny and smiled. "So what if I am?"

"I've never seen Ethan Morgan like this," Benny said. This wasn't a bad thing. This was actually good. Very good.

"I'm more thankful, okay?" Ethan said, pausing for a second before adding, "I just wanted to make you breakfast as a thank you for letting me stay."

"You don't have to do this," Benny said.

"No. I want to. Plus, I told you home economics would come in handy one day," Ethan said.

Benny sighed, knowing that in an argument with Ethan, he'd lose because he would bring more things to support his points. Benny did what he'd always do – rest and sit on a chair in front of the open kitchen.

As Ethan cracked some eggs, Benny asked what he was thinking of all along. "How did you get out of the underworld? And why did they let you out?"

Ethan sighed as if expecting this question to come. He took his time before saying, "Well, every dead person gets their angel. Mine, I got used to her quickly and I started talking to her about how I miss being alive. The next day… well, what appeared like the next day, she was gone. After what felt like eternity, she came back. She told me that I might be coming back. I asked her why. She said that…" he took a pause again and breathed, though Benny doubted half-dead humans needed that. "That it was because I was good, and I had good intentions and that since I helped in saving the world many times and may do that again, they might let me go. And it was also because… I… I'm pure." He said "pure" as if it was a bad thing. Something to be ashamed of.

"How is that not good?"

"Benny, for a person to be pure, they have to have a good heart and soul… and they have to be… be…" He didn't seem like he wanted to continue.

"Be what?" Benny asked.

He again took a breath before whispering, "A virgin."

Benny nodded, now knowing why Ethan was so embarrassed to say this. Sure, Benny wasn't a virgin, but that didn't mean it was a good thing. His first time was with a girl he didn't even like. "It's not a bad thing, E."

"Not a bad thing?" he asked when he stopped making Benny's breakfast. "Have you ever wondered why that was?" Benny didn't know what to say, so he stayed quiet. He knew why that was. No one really was interested in them. "It was because people liked you more."

"What? No, they don't."

"Yes, they do," Ethan said. "If you haven't noticed, every single jock bullies me more than any one of you two."

"E, that's not true. When they come to bully you, Rory and I are also teased in the process."

"You don't know what they do to me, B. You're mostly not there." Ethan said it so quietly that it was sad. "When you'd go home or when you're not around, they come to me, they punch me, they hurt me. Most of the time, I refuse that you come to my place because I never wanted you to see me broken and bruised."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know," Benny said.

Ethan shook his head then continued making the food. "Can I continue with the whole returning thing?"

Benny nodded. "Sure. Go ahead." He wanted to do anything to make Ethan forget about this. Anyway, he wouldn't have to see those jocks anymore. Plus, them thinking that he's dead now might make them back away… or bully more. But Benny didn't care. What mattered was that Ethan was away from them.

"Anyway, after two days, she came to me and told me I was going. I didn't know how I'd leave the underworld and I honestly didn't care. I was just happy to hear that I'm coming back. She told me a few things that I had to follow." Then he thought about what to say. "Hey, remember our dream houses that we drew when we were little?" Benny nodded."Well, in the underworld, I was living in it. It was nice, so I spent a lot of time there. After she told me about me coming back, I went to where the pool was and I let the good memories come until images flooded my mind. In a few seconds, I couldn't see the pool anymore. All I saw were the images and memories. I closed my eyes and opened them, and then suddenly, I saw myself standing in front of my house… well, it used to be, anyway. And then I saw Jane in front of her room's window, sitting in her place, not doing anything, and I felt bad for leaving her alone." He looked at Benny this time. "But you were lonelier. I know you had a hard time during this week, and I'm sorry for that."

Nodding, Benny had to admit that he _did_ have a hard time. Ethan and his grandmother had left him, and he was all alone. His grandmother was still gone, and he didn't know if he could move past this, but maybe with Ethan, who's starting a new life, he might be able to remain okay.

"E, would you mind if I ask you another question?" he asked, which made Ethan nod. "Before the incident happened, you were acting weird. First sad, then happy and excited. Why was that?"

"Well," Ethan started. Again, he seemed to take time before actually starting saying things. "I… actually had a vision about my death."

That must have been scary. Benny felt sorry for him now. But it kind of made sense. Why would he be freaked out at first, then? Why would he want to spend time with everyone afterwards? Why would he admit his love for Benny when he knew he'd get embarrassed? It all made sense now. "I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay," Ethan said. "I first saw a bloody knife, then the supernatural hunters' symbol, then a full moon, then I saw me lying on the ground with… with blood coming out from my chest, and you were there, holding me. At first I denied that I'd be dead. I thought that maybe I'd go to the hospital and survive. But then another image came. It was my funeral. I saw you giving a eulogy, and I heard my name. That was when I knew I'm really gonna die." He sighed, stopping the preparing of the food and then continued.

"It's fine, E. It's over," he said.

He nodded, seeming as if he was calming down. "I know."

"Hey, E?" Benny asked. "Didn't you say you couldn't tell anyone in Whitechapel other than me about you being alive?"

"I did," he simply said.

"Well, if you tell another Whitechapel citizen about this or if they find out, what would happen?" Benny asked.

"That's simple to answer, really. I'd just go, leave… die again," Ethan answered. "But don't worry about that. If I'd go outside, I'd hide myself with my hoodie and sunglasses."

"Wait, where do you get those, anyway?" Benny asked out of curiosity.

Ethan laughed. He seemed almost done with the breakfast. "Well, when I came back, it seemed that I just had those things with me. I think they gave it to me. But, honestly, there were a few things I took, like my phone or my other knife, by sneaking into the house."

"Wait, what? You sneaked into the house and got your stuff? Won't they notice? And I never saw anything in your hands."

"Relax. I hid them in my hoodie pockets. I put them in the closet, where you never even look or put your stuff in," he said.

Benny nodded. "Ah, smart."

"Well, anyway, I'm done with your scrambled eggs," Ethan said. He noticed them getting put on a plate. Then, he put them in front of Benny. "I hope they're good." He took a seat next to Benny, looking around the house.

After Benny took his first bite, he complimented the eggs, which made Ethan smile. They kept talking about anything they thought of, and it was ridiculous how much Benny wanted to share. He knew he missed him too much, but he didn't know he'd actually be like this, talking and chatting non-stop.

But he remembered the night Ethan admitted his crush on him. If he was that brave, maybe he could be even braver than he could ever be and embarrass himself too.

"You know," he began. There was no turning back. He had to do it. "I've missed you a lot when you were gone."

"I know," Ethan said, smiling.

If he'd just tell him quickly, maybe that smile would even grow. "And I think I may have realized something." What was wrong with him? He was pausing a lot.

"And that is…?" Ethan waited for the answer.

"I think… that I like you too," he admitted.

For a few seconds, Benny was afraid because Ethan didn't react. He just looked down with a blank face. He did not even move. But after that, Benny relaxed when Ethan turned his head. Ethan would turned his head when he was ashamed or when he tried to hide something. In this case, happiness was a probability.

"You like me?" There was joy and a light chuckle in his voice.

Benny couldn't help a smile either. "Well, if you'd look at me, I'd answer you."

And when Ethan _did_ turn, Benny fought the urge to do anything stupid. "W-Why?" He still looked happy despite the question.

"Because," he put his hand on the table, which was where Ethan's was lying, "you're cute, you're smart, you've been with me ever since we met at the park and you never let me down. Basically, you're… everything to me."

Now, his smile disappeared. "But-"

"If you're still thinking about what I said last time… Well, I can't lie to you. Half of it was a lie. But everyone has their flaws. Yours happens to be that you're a bit bossy and mine is that I'm an idiot-"

"Don't say that. You're smart. You just don't do the best you can."

"Meaning: I'm dumb. Just admit it," Benny said.

Ethan's smile returned now. Benny wanted to hold his hands, but he didn't know if he should make that move. "This changes things, you know."

"I do, but who cares?" he asked.

"Uh, me?" Ethan pointed at himself

"Look, things are different, anyway, whether we date or not. You're half-dead and you're starting a new life, so why not take a chance?"

"I don't know," he said. "I don't think I can-"

"It doesn't have to be a serious relationship," he said before he could refuse the idea of them being together. Ethan didn't say anything else for a while. "Maybe we should take this slow. I mean, for example, for the first week, we could just stick to holding hands." Now was his chance, so he took it. He reached his hands towards Ethan's own and held them, not taking his eyes away for even a single second off his friend's eyes.

"Okay," Ethan whispered quietly and nervously.

Benny smiled and then laughed at the nervousness of Ethan. "Anyway, we get to be alone and we should use that time. What do you want to do?"

Ethan thought about it. "I don't know."

"Well, I'll go for something we'd normally do and say, video games?"

Ethan smiled. "I'll race you upstairs."

* * *

**I had so much free time, I finished this in one day.**

**Well, I know that are more questions to be answered, like: Who that woman that entered Ethan's house is, what exactly half-dead humans are and such things. I'll answer them. Just wait. I have a whole list of things the characters should talk about.**

**I'm just obsessed with this story. I have it ALL planned. I know I made them date quickly, but everything you see is rushed or done before you think it would happen is because it's needed for the plot.**

**Well, I can't wait to write more.**

**Until next story or chapter… or whatever you read…**

**-TEM**


	3. The Visit

**Here is my evil chapter. Mwahahaha. It's not evil, but I'm feeling like I'm wicked today. But don't worry. I won't do anything THAT bad. Pffft. Pfffffffft. (When I 'pfft', you should be scared. But seriously, I won't do evil this chapter. Haha.)**

**Anyway, you guys should know that every chapter at the beginning of this story (that means from maybe chapter 1 to 6) there will be new info added. I want to throw in everything all at once, but I also want details, and that makes the chapter long. **

**Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter 'cause Bethan.**

* * *

The boys were prepared for yet another night to sleep. Benny was, anyway. Ethan was just planning on lying down and relaxing. When Benny was about to get into his bed, he heard Ethan speak, so instead, he sat down.

"Hey, Benny, when's your dad coming back?" he asked, sitting beside him.

"After six more days. Why?"

"Remember when I told you that no one in Whitechapel can know about me being alive but you?" he reminded him. "Well, after your dad comes, I can't stay in your house anymore. I have to find somewhere else to go."

"Then who are you staying with?"

"My dad's side of the family lives in the other town. I don't want my family to be freaked out by me being alive. But either I travel by my own to other towns or stay with my family. So, I think staying at Aunt Emilie's better."

"You're leaving?" Benny asked, a bit worried and filled with the desire of wanting him to stay.

"Not now. In six days, maybe."

He nodded, now holding his hands. When he did so, he noticed something in Ethan's arms. "E, are those… scars?"

Ethan immediately pulled his hands away, looking at them. "But I thought they wouldn't appear in this body," he whispered to himself. "Guess I didn't check."

"What? E, tell me. What's going on? 'This body'? And… what's up with your wrists? Dude, I'm really worried about you."

"I know. It's just… a long story."

"Dude, it's summer time and I don't feel sleepy. I think I have time to listen to you."

Ethan sighed. "Okay. Fine. The thing about this body is, well… my original body, my actual body, is still buried underground. I'm still dead. Like your…" he paused, "grandmother had once said, once a soul leaves a body, it can never come back. The only things that can enter it are demons. Since I really can't go back to that body, they made another copy, you can say. I guess they also made the marks on my hands stay."

"What you're saying is… this isn't your old body."

"No."

"And the scars?" It was something to take in to his mind and think about, but he wanted to know what was with his wrists.

He rested his back on one of the bed posts and looked away. "I have been… cutting for a month now. I stopped, but…"

"What? How come I don't know about this?"

Ethan seemed in his own, sad world, yet he replied. "Cause I didn't want you to know why I did it."

"Well," he took a hold of Ethan's hands again, "we're dating now. You're gonna have to tell me." Knowing that wasn't enough to make him say a word, he looked him straight in the eyes. "What happened?"

As he spoke, Benny kept rubbing circles on his hands to calm him down. "One day, I decided that I should tell my parents about me being gay." The start was hesitant, but he began nonetheless. Benny felt he knew where this was going. "That was only a month ago. But anyway, when I saw that my parents were happily coming back from one of their dates, I knew that I had to tell them. I was scared, but I knew I had to do it. Maybe they'd understand. The thing was, they weren't. When I told them, they… they got angry. They didn't like what they heard." He paused again, looking away this time. When he turned his head to where Benny was holding his hands, he continued, squeezing them a bit. "All I remembered that day was pain. Physical pain. When I got to my room and looked into the mirror, I didn't see me anymore. I was looking at a bruised and broken me." His hands relaxed now a bit. "I stayed in my room that night, locked in it, afraid to go outside. When Mom was at my door, apologizing, I didn't even reply. Why should I? They… they hurt me."

He looked so sad at that moment that Benny wanted to get closer and make him feel better. Still, Ethan was in his own world, so even if he did it, nothing would happen.

"Fifteen minutes later, Mom begged me to eat dinner, and I kept refusing. Mom continued doing that until I burst with anger… and I started yelling at her, telling her to leave me alone, telling her that I… hated her."

He could still remember what he told his mother that day. He knew it might still haunt her till this day. "_Stop pretending,_" he had said. "_Stop acting like you care. Stop acting like you're okay with this. I know you're not._" She tried to say something, but he wouldn't let her. "_Just get out. Leave me alone. You've already hurt me enough._" He remembered the tears coming out of him eyes. They weren't tears of sadness but they only formed because his eyes hurt him badly from the punches he received. "_I hate you, Mom. And if Dad doesn't know it, tell him I hate him too._"

"Then after a few minutes, maybe after everyone ate, Jane came knocking at my door. When I opened it, she was standing in front of my door, holding a plate and she looked… sympathetic. She asked if she could enter, so I let her in. After I asked her if she wanted to go out of the room, which she wasn't planning on doing, I locked the door and stayed with her the whole night until Mom asked Jane to sleep. Jane was the only one to help me that night."

"I could've been there too for you if you had told me, too," Benny finally spoke, trying to be soft so Ethan would still be at ease.

"But I didn't want you to see how I looked. I was so beaten up that I was scared when I looked at my reflection," he said. "Anyway," he calmed down, "when I opened the door, my mom put her hand so I wouldn't close it. She said she was sorry, and I knew she meant it, but when she said that she was fine with who I am, I saw how forced her words were. That was when I shut the door again. And it was then that I started cutting. The next day, I didn't even go to school 'cause my face still looked bad… and I didn't feel so healthy with all that was happening. It was after a week that the bruises on my face went unnoticeable."

"So that's what happened?" Benny thought it was something else. He guessed he had an accident of some kind and fell, maybe. Well, that was the lie Ethan told him when he asked about the tiny bruise beside his eye. "I'm so sorry."

Ethan seemed to snap out of the trance he was in. "It's fine. I know Mom loves me. Though, I wish she showed me her love that day."

"Of course she loves you. She's your mom."

"No, that's not how I know she loves me. I know because of the dreams she has of me."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember that one dream you had of me where I drowned?"

"Yeah." Then he realized what was happened. "Wait, how did you know that? I had that three days ago."

"Exactly what I'm talking about," he said, smiling. Benny was glad he was happy again. "You see, the dead see and hear. When you're in the underworld and someone talks or addresses you, you hear what they say. And if you want, you can stand in the same room as them. Like your grandmother said, if you talk to the dead, they hear all."

"What about the dreams?"

"The dead can also see whatever dreams you have of them. I can still see the dreams and hear you talk to me since I'm still actually dead."

"Don't remind me."

Letting out a tiny chuckle, he continued. This time, he was serious. "Most of you have horrible dreams about me. Yours is about guilt. Jane's is about her not being able to help me. Dad's is about angering me. I thought yours are bad. Mom's are worse. Her dreams are like flashbacks of old times, just a bit altered. Trust me, they hurt the most. It's like looking at something that you can never have ever again. Seeing them, they felt as if they happened a century before. In most of them, Mom would hold little me, embrace me in her arms and cry. She'd tell me that she loves me." His eyes were watery, but he blinked a few times. "Little me would look at and tell her, 'Of course you love me, Mommy. I'm not stupid. I know that.' Then she'd cry even more before I'd get out of her arms and do whatever I was supposed to be doing."

"It's okay," he comforted him, coming closer to him.

"When she talks to me beside my grave, she can't even complete her sentences because she sobs a lot."

"_Why would you leave…?_" she once said. She looked like she wanted to say the word 'me' but couldn't do it. "_My first son and you just… leave me? Is it me? Did I do it?_" He wanted to tell her that it wasn't, that it was his own doing, but did he really believe that? The main reasons he made the supernatural hunters kill him was because of his parents' nonacceptance and Benny's rejection. He had no intention of mentioning that to anyone, really.

"It's fine. What matters is that she loves you and you love her. In a month, you'll be able to tell her that, right?"

"That's the thing. I don't want to tell them I'm alive, even if I can. It's enough that I'll be freaking my dad's side of the family, and now them? I mean, I'd tell Jane since she saw a lot of messed up shit, but my parents? I can't tell them, okay?"

It was hopeless trying to talk about this. "Why don't we try to sleep? Maybe you'll forget about this."

After he agreed to that, he lied down beside him, trying to sleep. After what felt like ten minutes, he looked at the clock. Only three minutes passed.

"_Hi, Ethan,_" he heard a voice in his head. It was Jane. "_Dad says it might help me if I talk to you._" In a few seconds, he found himself standing in her bedroom that was only lit by her night light. She was sitting in bed with the blanket covering her legs. Her eyes would look left and right until they settled on the carpet. "_I miss you. I know that I said I can't stand you millions of times before, but now that you're… not with us anymore, I feel lonely. I just want to take away everything bad that I did to you. Mom and Dad told me that I shouldn't disrespect you, but I guess I didn't listen. I regret that now. I regret not saying that I love you too._"

"I know you love me," he said, knowing that she couldn't hear him. His angel companion in the underworld told him that if he'd reply back a few times, maybe the person talking to him would eventually hear him. It worked to a bunch of people, as he was told.

"_Sometimes, I worry about you. I mean, last month, you hadn't talked to Mom and Dad for two weeks until…_"she swallowed, "_Mom saw you with a knife. She said your wrist was bleeding. Honestly, to me, that scene would better than being woken up from sleep and told by Mom and Dad that you're dying in the hospital._" She closed her eyes and breathed then opened then again. "_You know, I never admitted this, but the years I spent with you were the best. It hurts knowing that you're gone now after nine years with you, but… you're not really gone, I guess. Everywhere I go, I hear your name. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I miss you and that I love you._"

"I love you too," he said.

Jane looked left and right, muttering, "_I think I'm going crazy. I'm hearing his voice._"

Smiling, he said, "I wish you could see me."

"_Ethan?_" she asked. "_I… I think I can… hear you?_"

"You can?" he asked, getting closer by one step.

"_Yes, I- AAH!_" Her eyes were on him now and her hands were holding the blanket. Not only did she look freaked out but surprised too.

"_Jane? What's going on?_" he heard his mother say.

"_N-Nothing!_" Her eyes wouldn't leave him. It was like if she looked away, he'd disappear."_Just thought I saw a spider!_"

Noticing how scared she was, he didn't try to get closer. "Jane, relax. I-"

"_You're dead_," she said.

"I am." Well, actually, he still was. "I guess I was given a chance to visit you."

"_Is it fine if I hug you?_" The question was so sudden, he didn't know how to react until five seconds later.

"Of course. Well, we have to first see if you _can_ actually touch me." His legs took him forwards until he was just beside the bed. From up close, he could see the dark circles under his sister's eyes and her slightly messy hair. The bed was just as comfortable as it felt the last time he sat on it, which was a long time ago. As a test, he put his hand on her shoulder. Surprisingly, he felt the fabric of her pajamas.

His impatient sister couldn't wait any longer and put her arms around him, laying her head on his shoulder. "_You feel so real._"

He just rubbed her back and kissed her on her cheek. When he pulled back, he could see the still sad look on her face. "Where's the smile?"

"_How can I smile at a time like this?_"

Putting his hands on top of hers, he spoke. "I have a feeling something good is going to happen soon." He was only talking about him telling her about him being alive.

"How would you know?"

"I just do. You only have to wait a month, just a month, and you'll know what I'm talking about."

She pulled him into a hug again. That made him laugh and turn his head around until he was facing the mirror. His reflection was barely there, but it _did_ appear. There was a purple aura surrounding him. Was that because he was dead already? His reflection was normal when he was at Benny's house. Maybe it was because he was kind of like a ghost in that room.

"A month?" she asked.

"A month," he confirmed.

When she took her hands away and laid her head on the wooden back of the bed, he could see her crying eyes. The first thing he did was brush her tears away. Even when he did that, more tears would come pouring down.

"Don't leave me," she whispered out.

"I've never left you. Look, if you ever need me, just talk to me. I'll be there to listen, okay?" He felt that he should leave. It was the time that he had to get separated from her. He just knew that because of the feeling on the inside that his soul shouldn't be here. "I think you should sleep. Staying up will make you even more depressed, you know. I don't want you to feel that way."

"Will you stay here until I feel sleepy?"

"Sure. Why not?" A smile couldn't help but show up on his face.

She put her head on the pillow without even taking her eyes away from him. They were still holding each other's hands, so for the time being, she was happy. "You know, Mom misses you the most."

"I know."

"Dad feels bad."

"I know that too."

"And life sucks," she randomly said.

'I noticed that too."

Her eyes were beginning to close. Now was goodbye. For a month, maybe. After leaning forward, he kissed her forehead. Odd enough, when he sat straight, he saw himself in Benny's room with Benny shaking up, yelling his name.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Thank goodness," Benny breathed out and lied in bed back again. "I was trying to talk to you, but you were frozen in your place, just blinking every once in a while. I was so scared. What happened?"

So that was what happened when he'd hear people talk to him or when he'd see others' dreams. "Jane was talking to me, but I guess they made me talk to her for a bit. Anyway, how long have I stayed that way?"

"Thirty minutes," he replied. "Thirty frickin' minutes."

"Thirty? I've been in there for a few minutes," he said in disbelief.

"You scared me, you know," Benny said. "I thought I was going to lose you."

"I'm not going. Not now. Like I said, I'll be staying for years with you."

The teenage boy just nodded and closed his eyes again, coming even closer to him until Ethan could feel his shoulder touching his chin. Trying to forget about everything, he too went into a sleep with him.

* * *

**See? I'm not doing evil stuff. I'm not gonna do anything to my babies now. I love them too much.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I kind of liked writing it. So proud of myself.**

**Well, until the next chapter…**

**-TEM**


End file.
